The present invention lies in the field of arrangements for controlling normal seizure of connectors by one or more service circuits. Such arrangements generally include some sort of connector seizure circuit for recognizing at least one seizure attempt and for permitting seizure to take place responsive to recognition of such a seizure attempt. Prior such seizure circuits generally include circuitry whereby only one such connector seizure at a time may be permitted and whereby no other seizure can occur until the permitted seizure ceases; however, in such prior circuitry, the cessation of a seizure cannot be controlled by the seizure circuit itself, and thus each new connector seizure must await the relinquishing by a service circuit of the previous seizure.
In the above general area, one finds a variety of such connector seizure circuits including the well-known type involving a preference relay for each service circuit and a connector relay for each service circuit. The preference relays are interconnected with each other so that a preference relay of higher assigned preference can operate to recognize a seizure attempt by the corresponding service circuit even though a preference relay of lower assigned preference may also be operated. Also, the connector relays are controlled by the preference relays so that only one connector relay at a time can be operated by the corresponding operated preference relay to establish one connector seizure at a time. Also, once a connector seizure has been permitted to take place, the preference-connector circuitry locks-out any other seizure attempt until the connector seizure is released by the service circuit which caused the seizure to take place.